Video 1:00
Taiwan and mainland hold talks

Emma AlbericiUpdated
Tue 11 Feb 2014, 10:51 PM AEDT

Taiwan's mainland affairs chief, Wang Yu-chi, has arrived in Nanjing on a four day visit to mainland China which will include the first formal meeting with the mainland's head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhan Zhijun.

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: China and Taiwan are holding their first official government talks since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. A delegation from Taiwan is in Nanjing for four days of negotiations aimed at building trust between the two sides.

China still regards Taiwan as part of its territory while Taiwan has never formally renounced its claim to be the proper ruler of mainland China. Previous talks between the two have been conducted through quasi official organisations.

ZHANG ZHUJUN, CHINA VICE FOREIGN MINISTER: (Translated) It's impossible to imagine in the past that we could sit here and meet today. We must have some imagination if we want to resolve some difficulties, not just for this meeting, but a bigger imagination for cross strait development in the future.

EMMA ALBERICI: Chinese officials are keen to focus on a free trade deal which has stalled in the Taiwanese parliament. Taiwan has hinted it will raise the issue of press freedom after China denied accreditation to several media outlets.